Strike-plate for spring-latches.



G. VOIGHT. STRIKE PLATE FOR SPRING LATCHES. APPL IOATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

1,003,21 9. Patented Sept. 12, 1911. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. VOIGI-IT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 RUSSELL & ERWIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STRIKE-PLATE FOR SPRING-LATCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 20, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. VOIGI-IT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Strike-Plates for Spring-Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved strike-plate for spring latches, the object be ing to provide a construction whereby when the latch springs into the keeper opening in said strike-plate it will be retarded so as to prevent the disagreeable clicking noise. In many public institutions, such as hospitals and sanitariums, this clicking noise is a source of great annoyance, and it is to overcome this objectionable feature that my invention is mainly aimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the entire apparatus assembled. Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, each illustrate two views of different details of construction.

1 represents the front of the strike-plate having the usual opening therein.

2 represents a filler plate arranged to occupy the keeper opening, and yet is so mounted that it may be repressed by the forward pressure of a latch (not shown).

3 is a box-like extension at the rear of the plate 1.

4 is a plunger extension at the rear of the filler plate 2. This plunger 4 has a central bore.

5 is a cap piece for the rear end of the box-like structure 3. This cap piece has a rearward extension 6 bored to guide the plunger 4 of the filler plate.

7 is a contraction intermediate the length of the bore in the extension 3.

8 is a shaft having a spiral on the outer surface thereof. This shaft passes through the contraction 7 and carries a head 9 outside of the latter.

10 is an abutment against which the head 9 bears. The bearing surfaces between the head 9 and the abutment 10 are preferably tapered or cone-shaped. The abutment 10 is in the form of a block, which is threaded into the rear end of the extension 6, so that by turning the same, said abutment may be adjusted to and fro.

11 is a lock screw to hold the abutment 10 in its adjusted position.

12 is a spring surrounding the shaft 8, the ends of said spring bearing against the contraction 7 and the rear end of the extension 4c.

14 is a pin in the extension 1, the inner end of which projects into the spiral of the shaft 8. The back 5 is preferably secured to the walls of the box 8 by screws 1515.

The operation is as follows: The normal position of the several parts is as shown in Fig. 1, in which the spring 12 causes the filler plate 2 to occupy the keeper openin in the strike-plate 1. When the latch not shown) encounters the strike-plate, it is repressed until it stands over the plate 2, whereupon the spring pressure of the latch bolt (not shown) which tends to cause the latch bolt to advance, and which should, of course, be in excess of the power of spring 12, represses the filler plate 2. The repression of the filler plate 2 causes, through the pin and spiral connection, a rotation of the shaft 8 and friction head 9. The pressure of the friction head 9 against the abutment 10 causes friction, which tends to retard the too free rotation of the spiral shaft 8, and hence the too free repression of the filler plate 2. As a result of the retarding action on the filler plate 2, the latch is projected into the keeper opening slowly until fully seated, which seating occurs without the objectionable clicking noise referred to at the outset.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a strike-plate for spring latches, a face plate, a keeper opening therein, and means arranged to normally stand within said opening to receive and check the for-.

ward movement of the latch therein, said means comprising a plate and a cooperating friction device.

2. In a strike-plate for spring latches, a face plate, a keeper opening therein, and means arranged to normally stand within said opening to receive and check the forward movement of the latch therein, said means comprising a plate and a cooperating rotatable friction device.

8. In a strike-plate for spring latches, a face plate, a keeper opening therein, means arranged to normally stand within said opening to receive and check the forward movement of the latch therein, said means comprising a plate and a cooperating rotatable friction device, and a spiral connection between said plate and said rotatable friction device.

4. In a strike-plate'for spring latches, a face plate, a keeper opening therein, a filler plate therefor, a tubular extension at the rear of said filler plate, a guide for said filler plate, a rotatable friction head, a spiral connection between said rotatable friction head and said tubular extension and a friction abutment for said friction head.

5. In a strike-plate for spring latches, a

face plate, a keeper opening therein, a filler plate therefor, a tubular extension at the rear of said filler plate, a guide for said filler plate, a rotatable friction head, a spiral connection between said rotatable friction head and said tubular extension, and a friction abutment for said friction head, said abutment being adjustable.

HENRY Gr. VOIGHT. Witnesses:

GWENDOLINE A. J AoKsoN, EDWARD B. ALLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

